Two Little Time Lords and The Doctor
by geogirl2014
Summary: David and Anna were orphans, saved from the Time War by their mother. When The Doctor takes them in, their two worlds will change forever.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Doctor Who. Please Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1**

"Please stop crying Anna, please." Three year old David begged his tiny, twin sister. They were a lot alike, both smart and courageous but Anna was several hours younger than David and much smaller. Though she rarely cried, she was weeping now, her little body convulsing with sobs. "Please Anna, please." David begged. He could hear stomping on the stairs. The door flew open and Mrs. Brooke, the caretaker of the orphanage appeared.

"Are you crying?" she hissed at Anna, which only made her cry louder. "Well, you're being too loud," she grabbed Anna's wrist harshly, dragging the crying child down the stairs and to the door, "so, you're leaving." She opened the front door and tossed out into the snow.

David rushed after her. He ran straight out into the freezing wind and grabbed Anna from the snow. She was unconscious. He picked her up, determined to get her into town from the small house in the wilderness where he, Anna and the other orphans lived.

David and Anna were much smarter than most children, not that anyone noticed. They knew how to read and write and could solve math problems in their heads. David knew it was an hour walk to town following the roads but only 30 minutes if he walked through the woods. So he began walk into them. They were creepy at night, full of dark crevices and shadows. He walked slowly for that reason and because his balance wasn't very good and was worse in the dark while carrying a toddler who weighed almost as much as he did. He stumbled forward as branch caught on his foot. His head slammed into a stone as his sister flew from his arms. A beam of moonlight came through the tree tops, illuminating the tiny boy and girl who looked as though they would die in the snow.

* * *

><p>The Doctor lay on his bed, trying to sleep but every time he closed his eyes the image of Rose flying into the void filled is vison. He knew she was safe, but he couldn't stop thinking about that moment and the thought he had of letting go and following her if she was dragged into the void. He had been thinking about Rose a great deal since Martha had left. He had never really seen Martha though the haze Rose left him in. He closed his eyes again but was shaken from his bed by the ship lurching. He made his way back to the consul room and began punching buttons, and flipping levers and switches. "What the hell are you doing?!" the Doctor screamed as the ship lurched again then landed.<p>

The Doctor knew the TARDIS had moved for a reason, so he stepped out. It was a freezing night, snow floated down into the forest where he stood. He looked around, searching for the reason his ship had landed there. A beam of moonlight came down illuminating a small boy with curly black hair laying on forest floor, next to him was a little girl with wisps of golden hair sticking up.

He raced forward, grabbing the frigid bodies of the boy and girl. He wrapped his coat around them as he carried them into the TARDIS's medical bay. He placed them on child sized medical beds and began to run scans. The boy had a cut on his forehead and was slightly hypothermic, the girl had a broken wrist, severe hypothermia and appendicitis. The Doctor quickly healed the boy's cut and the girl's wrist then wrapped the boy in a Gallifreyan healing blanket to warm him. He moved the girl to a healing pod which would fix her appendicitis and hypothermia. It would take a while though. The scanner began to beep, meaning it had finished with its preliminary DNA checks of the boy and girl. The Doctor's eyes widened as he looked at the screen.

The children were Time Lords.

* * *

><p>David began to cry. He woke in a strange place with a strange man, his sister in a strange bubble. He was scared and confused. Tears fell down is chubby cheeks as the man approached him. He had spiky brown hair and worn amber eyes. He wore a brown pinstripe suit and pair of white canvas sneakers. He smiled warmly at David. "Hey, don't cry. You're safe here. I'm not going to hurt you." He stared up the strange smiling madman. "Where's Anna?"<p>

"Anna? The little Girl?" David nodded. "She's fine, the TARDIS is taking care of her. She has appendicitis and hypothermia but she'll be fine. It'll just take a little bit of time." David cocked his head, the wheels in his head turning as he contemplated the word "TARDIS".

"What's a TARDIS?" he asked innocently. The man grinned widely and picked him up, running through a series of hallways until he reached a massive room with a round center consul and coral struts.

"This is the control room of the TARDIS. It's my ship. Stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. I'm The Doctor by the way. What's your name?" David cocked his head.

"Well, it's David…kind of. Why can I hear it talk?" The Doctor smiled and placed David on the ground. "Because it's alive. And you can hear it because she's talking to you." David nodded then the Doctor spoke again.

"What do you mean 'kind of David'?" The Doctor inquired. David looked towards the floor, he swallowed hard.

"I-I'm, well, we, m-me and Anna, w-we're not…human." David watched the Doctor smile warmly as he picked him and carried him back to the medical room where he had woken.

"Well, here's a secret for you, David. Neither am I." David's eyes lit up with curiosity. He smiled with wonder "Really?" The Doctor chuckled and nodded. "In fact, we are the same, you and me and Anna."

The boy grinned again, his eyes full of wonder and curiosity. "We are?" The Doctor nodded again as he set David down on one of the medical bay beds. He grabbed a stethoscope and placed the ends in the boy's ears.

"Listen." He told him as he pressed the end to the boy's chest. He watched David's face light with wonder as he listened to both of his hearts. Then the Doctor pressed the stethoscope to his own hearts. Again, David's face lit with wonder and joy as he listened.

"So, David, what is your name then?" David's smile faltered slightly but he spoke anyway.

"Videl. My sister's name is Iliana." The Doctor smiled warmly, memories of his own children dancing in his mind. "But I like David. It has a good promise. So does Anna." The Doctor cocked his head.

"You know about the promise of a name?" The boy nodded.

"The promise of David is 'Always fair, Always Kind. Giving Light and Love." And the promise of Anna is 'Giving, never taking. Loving, never hating.' What does your name promise?" The Doctor smiled at him.

"Never cruel nor cowardly. Never give up, never give in." The Doctor's face had become serious to point that David was actually a bit scared. He smiled gently to reassure the boy who frowned.

"What's wrong?" The boy began to cry and Doctor came over and gently lifted him up. The boy curled up into his chest, holding his lapels and sobbing. The Doctor put a comforting hand on the boy's back, moving it in gentle circles as he spoke softly. "Why are you crying David?" David snuffled then looked up at the Doctor. "Are you gonna to take us back to Mrs. Brooke?" The Doctor didn't know who Mrs. Brooke was but judging by David's response she wasn't very good. "Who is Mrs. Brooke?"

"She ran the o'phanage where Anna and I lived. Anna was crying cause her stomach hurt. Mrs. Brooke grabbed her and threw her out. I ran after Anna. I promised my mom I'd take of her." He began to sob again and the Doctor held him close.

"I won't take you back there David. You, Anna and I are the last of our people. You will stay here, with me. That is…if you want to." The Doctor told him comfortingly. He was remembering his own son and his own daughter as he held that little boy and looked over his little shoulder at the sleeping girl. He made a promise. He promised they would always be safe.

The Doctor then noticed that David had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled warmly and took the boy to bedroom the TARDIS had prepared and placed across from the Doctor's room. Anna was his next priority. She had not yet woken when he returned. So he, climbed onto one of the medical beds. He realized he hadn't really slept since Martha had left and it had been more than a week. He needed rest.

He only hoped he could have it without the nightmares.

* * *

><p>David awoke to the sounds of the Doctor screaming. He jumped up and ran until he found the Doctor. He jumped onto the medical bed to see The Doctor writhing and screaming, sweat dripping down his face, mixing with tears. He placed his small hands firmly on the Doctor's chest and began shaking him as hard as his three year old body could. After a bit of shaking The Doctor woke and sat straight up. He breathed heavily, his mind reeling. He turned to see little David staring at him, a fairly frightened look on his face. T<p>

he Doctor ran a hand through own hair then rustled David's black curls. "I'm okay David. I'm sorry if I scared you. I had a bad dream." The boy swallowed, his fearful expression melted into one of understanding. "I have bad dreams too." The Doctor lifted David onto his lap, the little boy curling up into his chest, listening to the Doctor's steady heartbeats as a lullaby. "Will you tell me a story?" He asked. "I 'member my mum tellin' me stories to help me have good dreams."

"Of course I'll tell you a story." The Doctor smiled. "Once upon a time there was a very sad and lonely monster. He was all alone. He had a special ship he liked to travel about in. One day, he visited a big city and saved a girl who was a flower. The Flower was beautiful and kind. The Monster and Flower became the best of friends. The Monster grew to love the Flower. They were so happy. Then one day the Monster was trapped by an evil army, so he sent his Flower away so she would not be hurt. But the Flower would not let her Monster be hurt. Now, the Flower had been told to never look into the sun or she might die because the sun's power was too much for her. But the Flower knew with power of the sun she could save her monster, so she looked at it. The Flower became a Wolf. And she saved her Monster and whole kingdom. But the sun was killing her so the Monster kissed her and took the power away. The sun's power made the Monster better. He became kinder and happier but very different from the monster the Flower knew. The Flower was scared of her new Monster but soon she knew he loved her and he knew she loved him. The End."

David was sound asleep. The Doctor moved him gently to lay on the bed so he could take care of Anna. He found she would need about two more hours in the pod. The Doctor sat back on the bed, his head flooded with theories about the two tiny Time Lords. David, who had woken slightly, suddenly climbed up onto the Doctor's lap and curled up with his head in between the Doctor's hearts. The Doctor pressed a gentle kiss into the little boy's hair and then promptly went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The Doctor woke the sound of Anna crying and David saying "Please go back to sleep Anna. You don't wanna wake the Doctor do you?" David stood next to the pod, his hands pressed against its glassy surface. The Doctor stood and came up behind David. "What are you doing?" David jumped down, his face full of fear. "P-please don't make us leave. She'll stop crying. I promise." The Doctor chuckled and knelt in front of David. "I will never make you leave, David. Okay?" The boy nodded as the Doctor stood and deactivated the pod. David placed his hand on Anna's head and spoke gently to her. "It's okay Anna, don't be scared. He's the Doctor and he's gonna take of us."<p>

Anna looked skeptically at the Doctor. "You are?" she asked. The Doctor grinned and nodded but looked at David before picking her up, the boy gave a quick nod and then The Doctor lifted her up.

The Doctor picked up David too then set them down on one of the medical bay beds. He grabbed a stethoscope and placed the ends in the little girl's ears.

"Listen." He told her as he pressed the end to the boy's chest. He watched Anna's face light with wonder as she listened to both of his hearts. Then the Doctor pressed the stethoscope to his own hearts. Again, Anna's face lit with wonder and joy as she listened. Then he pressed it against her own chest. He eyes met David's the Doctor's as she grinned uncontrollably.

He then lifted the kids down to the floor. He held his hands out and wiggled his fingers. David grabbed a hold, only able to wrap his tiny hand around two of the Doctor's fingers. Anna grabbed his other and wrapped her tiny fingers around his pointer finger. They walked to the kitchen where the Doctor lifted David and Anna onto the counter.

The Doctor made himself, Anna and David some banana Pancakes. Then he put David and Anna in booster chairs and the three of them started to eat. After few minutes David asked "What happened to the rest of our people?" The Doctor grew solemn. How could explain to this boy and this girl that he had destroyed their world? Killed their people? He looked at their innocent faces and spoke quietly. "Well, there was a war. And our people lost. Well, everybody lost, really. Do either of you remember Gallifrey?" David nodded but Anna shook her head. "I 'member my mum tellin' me stories, but my dad was dead. Mummy said he died protectin' us. I never met him though. Mummy said I looked like him. She said he was brave and strong." The Doctor looked to Anna who had stopped eating and looked quite sad.

"What's wrong Anna?" The Doctor asked. She looked up at him blue eyes that perfectly matched David's.

"Me and David are twins but I don't remember home. I just remember waking up at Uncle Jack's.

The Doctor nodded, smiling sadly at her. "Do remember how you and Anna got to earth, David?" He asked the little boy. David shook his head. "Mommy tucked me in, she told me to take care of Anna. When I woke up I was lying in a bed in a weird room with Anna. Then Uncle Jack came and told us he was gonna take us somewhere we could be taken care of and be safe." Anna nodded.

"Uncle Jack said that one day someone would come to the o'phanage and take us home and be our new mummy and daddy." Anna looked to her brother, the two of them smiled at each other then looked at the Doctor at the same time. He smiled back and spoke to them quietly. "I will care for you the best I can, I promise." They nodded and everything was quiet for moment then, Doctor remembered 'uncle jack". _Harkness _he thought bitterly.

"Uncle Jack?" The Doctor questioned, readying himself to go ballistic on Harkness. "Yup, He was nice. He took us to Mrs. Brooke's. But it was Mrs. Lee's. Then Mrs. Lee left and Mrs. Brooke came and she was mean and made me and Anna leave." The boy was sad now, moving his last bit pancake around on the plate. The Doctor was relived he didn't have to go kill Jack and smiled as he stood and took all three plates. "So, where do you to want to go first?" The kids jumped down from their chairs. "We're going somewhere?" They asked together. "Well, what else would you do in a space and time machine?" He asked as he knelt in front of them. They ran over to him and wrapped his arms around them, picking them both up. All three laughing.

Their first trip was to a meadow. It was calm and peaceful. They had a picnic lunch and when it got dark they stargazed. The Doctor pointed out constellations and stars and planets. Eventually David and Anna fell asleep with their heads on the Doctor's hearts. He tucked them in to their beds on the TARDIS. Then he piloted her to earth. There was something wrong and he figured he could deal with it while the kids were sleeping.

**_3 hours later_**

The Doctor slipped quietly back into the TARDIS and went to check on David and Anna. Everything had gone well despite being sucked though a wormhole to another planet and having to fly a double decker bus back into London. He opened David and Anna's door to check on them and saw that they were sitting on the floor, in the corner, crying. Their tiny bodies shaking, and convulsing horribly as they sobbed. "David, Anna, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked as he ran into the room and crouched in front of them. "Y-you c-came b-b back…" Anna said slowly and weakly through her tears, David looked at him sadly. "W-we thought y-you didn't w-want us..."

"Of course I want you. You saved me. You and Anna, you did. I have lost everyone I loved but you and Anna, you give me hope. David, Anna, I am never going to leave you. I promise. I help people and they needed me. But I'm not leaving you alone again. I promise." The Doctor gently picked up the small children who curled up on his chest, one head on each heart. "I'll just have to take you and Anna with me to help next time, Okay?" they sniffled and nodded. "We had a bad dreams." Anna said softy. "Will you tell us a story, so we can have good dreams, daddy?" David asked. The Doctor felt his hearts swell when the boy nestled in his arms called him daddy. He kissed the boys head, feeling his tight black curls brush his nose. Then his kissed Anna's head, her golden wisps of hair tickling his nose. "Tell us another story about the Monster and the Flower." David whispered. The Doctor nodded as he sat down on the bed. His arms wrapped securely around the little children.

"There was a great castle in the city where the Flower had once lived, and in this castle was a portal to another world. Through this portal came a ball, a ball that everyone thought wasn't there. When the ball came through, the people in castle started playing with the portal. Soon, ghosts began appearing. But when the Monster and The Flower returned they knew weren't ghosts. They were soldiers in evil robot army. They tried to tell the people in the castle but no one would listen. Then the robots broke through. They started killing people. Then the ball opened and another army of different robots appeared. But the Monster and Flower and their friends who came from the other side of the portal found a way to stop them and send them all away. The Flower's parents wanted her to come with them to the kingdom on the other side of the portal, but she wished to stay with her Monster. So, they activated the portal and started sucking up the armies and Monster and the Flower. The Flower lost her grip on the lever she was holding and fell toward the portal. Her dad and came saved her at the last minute but she was trapped on the other side of the portal. She could never return and be with her Monster again. The Monster was sad. He was so very sad. His Flower was too. He never got to tell her he loved her, all he could was hope she knew. Then one day the Monster found a little boy and girl. He took them in and they made him feel like he wasn't a monster anymore."

They were both asleep. The Doctor didn't even think about moving. He just kissed their foreheads and whispered "Goodnight my…children." Before going to sleep, without nightmares, for the first time in weeks.

* * *

><p>The Doctor planned a special trip for David and Anna. They were going to the Agolini Child's Fair. The Agolini were child care experts. So while David and Anna were playing, the Doctor could pick up some much needed supplies. He taken them on trips before but only to very, very safe planets he was sure were completely harmless. Now, he could be taking them anywhere, and they could encounter anything. As much as he didn't want to endanger the children, he couldn't leave them in TARDIS so, he needed things to keep them safe and to keep them close to him.<p>

They stepped out of the TARDIS onto the warm and sweet smelling planet. The Doctor led the kids over to an Angolian. The purple, 6 armed woman happily took the children to a playground while the Doctor slipped away. He made his way to a vendor selling child safety devices. After searching for about half an hour he found some bracelets. One worn by adult which generated a force field and the others worn by the children who could not travel beyond the force field with the bracelet on. If they did get beyond the force field, the bracelet also had a tracker. They would work for the kids. He bought them from the seller and went back to pick up the kids.

When he arrived, he knelt in front of David and Anna. "These are for you two. Never take them off, Okay?" The kids nodded and the Doctor stood and took their hands. They walked back to the TARDIS, a happy man with happy children.

The Doctor decided their first trip would be to be to Earth. There was something wrong with a weight loss company and The Doctor figured it couldn't possibly be too dangerous.


	2. Chapter 2

**I still don't own Doctor Who but I do own my own characters. Enjoy! Another chapter tomorrow...I hope...**_  
><em>

**_Late the next Day._**

_ Late the next Day._

Gallifreyan swear words erupted in the Doctor's head as the window washing platform jerked and one side began to fall. The terrified screams of David and Anna filled his ears. Donna caught them and was holding on to a wire with one hand and David with the other. Anna was holding onto David, both kids were screaming as well as Donna. He cursed Mrs. Foster for using her sonic pen to deactivate his bracelet and shut down the force field that could be protecting the children at the moment. Angrily, he soniced Mrs. Foster's pen and she dropped it into his waiting hand. Using both screwdrivers, he broke the window in front of him and ran fast then even believed he could until he was at the window in front of Donna and the kids. He shattered it with his screwdriver and pulled all three people inside. David and Anna were both crying. He grabbed them and pulled them into a hug. This calmed them significantly.

"It's alright. I got you. You're safe." He told them. Donna was standing now. She stared at the Doctor who stood and took each of the kids' hands in his own. He led them into the call center where Miss. Foster was waiting.

"Well then, at last." She said as removed her glasses. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor and this David and Anna." The Doctor said quite happily.

"And I'm Donna." The red-head chirped.

"Evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology." The Doctor grinned at Mrs. Foster. "Oh yes, I've still got your sonic pen. Nice, I like it. Sleek, it's kind of sleek." He held the pen out and the kids nodded and Donna said "Oh it's definitely sleek." The Doctor continued. "Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name that would be...?"

"Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class." The woman said with great arrogance.

"A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates." The Doctor spat at her.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost."

"How do you lose a planet Daddy?" Anna asked. Cofelia glared at the little girl. "Oh, politics are none of my concern. I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

"What, like an outer space nanny?" David giggled.

"Yes, if you like." She said.

"So... so those little things they're, they're made out of fat yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her." Donna said, looking a bit sick.

"Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things." Cofelia said, almost angry about having sick Adipose.

"Seeding a level 5 planet is against galactic law." David yelled at her stepping towards the woman and her guards.

"Are you threatening me little boy?" She said angrily, glaring at the boy in anger.

"He isn't but I will. This is your one chance; cos if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you." The Doctor said stepping up and taking David's hand. The boy smiled up at him.

"I hardly think you can stop bullets." She said with an evil grin.

The bodyguards took aim at them and the Doctor frowned. "No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, one more thing, before... dying. Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?" he asked Cofelia who shrugged "No." The Doctor dropped David's hand and put the two devices together. "Nor me, let's find out!" He yelled. An awful noise rang through the room, Cofelia and her guards squirmed in agony and a glass pane shattered. The kids were screaming in pain. Donna pushed the Doctor to stop him, as soon as the sound stopped, the Doctor grabbed David and Anna. "Come on!" Donna Yelled.

They ran into a deserted corridor and soon arrived at the storage cupboard the Doctor was hiding in earlier. The Doctor yanked it open and started throwing the supplies out, after a moment he pulled Donna and the kids inside.

"Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it." Donna said.

The Doctor opened the back of the cupboard revealing a big green machine built into the wall. "I'm Hacking in to this thing , cos Cofelia's got a computer core running through the center of the building. Triple deadlocked. And now that I've got this," He held up the sonic pen. "I can get into it." The Doctor worked as fast as he could, in between yelling about privacy and tower blocks. He started to fiddle with cables until a mechanical voice said "Inducer online." Donna started talking after that.

"You look older." She said. She didn't see the Doctor's smile at that. "Thanks." He replied. "Not on your own, I see?" He chuckled.

"Yup. I had this friend, Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant... and I destroyed half her life. But she's fine. She's good. She's gone. I found them after she left." Donna nodded, smiling at the kids. Anna was watching her while David was focused on what the Doctor was doing. "What about Rose?" The Doctor paused. In his mind, he flashed though his nightmares, shaking his head, he replied to Donna in soft voice. "Still lost." He said simply.

She laughed and knelt to talk to Anna "I must have been mad turning down that offer." She told the little girl. Anna cocked her head and asked "What offer?"

"Your Dad offered to let me come with him." Donna explained. The little girl's eyes lit up. "You'd come with us?" Anna asked happily. "Oh yes, please!" Donna laughed with Anna.

"Right." The Doctor said at the same the computer said "Inducer activated."

"What's it doing now Daddy?" David asked.

"She's started the program." The Doctor said in horror. "So far they're just losing weight, but Cofelia has gone up to emergency pathogenesis. That's when they convert..." David cut him off.

"Skeletons, organs, everything. Daddy! A million people are gonna die! You gotta cancel the signal!" David yelled. The Doctor smiled quickly then turned back to the machine and began working away again. He plugged in a capsule to stop the signal. After a moment he started yelling again.

"No no no no no, she's doubled it, I need... Haven't got time! It's too far, I can't override it! They're all gonna die!" He yelling in horror.

"Is there anything I can do?" David asked. The Doctor shook his head.

"I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them!" He yelled again. He began fiddling again as Donna pulled out another capsule. "Like this?" She asked. The Doctor laughed and grabbed it from her. He fiddled again until the machine turned off. The sound of a loud horn suddenly filled the room. "Daddy, what was that?" Anna asked, taking Donna's hand out fear. "Nursery ship." David and the Doctor said at the same time. The computer unit light up and spoke behind them. "Incoming signal." It said before speaking in an alien language. "Hang on, that's instructions from the Adiposian First Family." The Doctor said leaning close to the machine in order to figure out what it was saying. "Foster wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now. SHE is!" The Doctor grabbed David and Donna picked up Anna and they ran up to the roof.

"Take me! The children need me!" Cofelia yelled just as The Doctor and Donna reached the roof. They put the kids down, who began to watch the Adipose babies flying toward the nursery ship. "What you gonna do then? Blow them up?" Donna asked the Doctor who gave her a horrified look. "They're just children. They can't help where they come from." He told her.

"Oh, that makes a change from last time. Those kids must've done you good." The Doctor smiled as looked over at them. David was pointing out the constellations and stars he told them about on their first trip, to Anna. "Ah, they did, yeah." The two kids then began waving at an Adipose who was waving at them. The Doctor ran to the edge of the building that Cofelia was soaring near at the same height as the Adipose babies.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to me!" He yelled.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it will be too soon." She said bitterly.

"Oh, why does no one ever listen? I'm trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?" He yelled back at her, slightly annoyed.

"What, so that you can arrest me?" She asked.

"Just listen." He yelled back at her. "I saw the Adiposian instructions - they know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice!" Cofelia was completely unfazed by the Doctor's words. "I'm far more than that. I'm nanny to all these children." She said. Suddenly, the blue light of the levitation beam vanished. Cofelia fell with a scream.

Donna hid her face to the Doctor's shoulder. He grabbed David and Anna, pulled them into his legs and blocking their sight of Cofelia. They looked up again to see the Adipose waving goodbye through the windows of the ship. The kids waved back. They walked back to the alley where the TARDIS and Donna's car were. Donna got excited about that. She pulled out all her suitcases and hatbox, throwing them all into the Doctor's arms then they all climbed into the TARDIS.


	3. Chapter 3

**So my laptop broke. I managed to finally finish enough of this to call it a chapter. I will write more after Finals which are next week. After I get done with this semester I will try to update everything but typing on my tablet is like trying to get a monkey to preform ballet. And I still don't own Doctor Who just David and Anna**

It took the Doctor almost two hours to get the kids to sleep. After he finally did get them to sleep, he went and told Donna the whole story of the kids. Then he and the best Temp in Cheswick talked for hours about everything they had done since they'd last seen each other. Donna eventually fell asleep on the jump seat and The Doctor had to carry her to a bedroom the TARDIS made for her. After he left her, he went to check on the twins.

They were curled up on David's bed. Their tiny bodies crunched in shaking balls of fear. Sweat and tears dripped down their tiny faces. The Doctor ran to them and tried to wake them but it was all in vain. So, he pressed his hands to each of their heads and closed his eyes. All Time Lords were telepathic. Some were so powerful they could do anything with their minds; others could barely feel the buzz of the Time Lord group conscious. The Doctor was a quite powerful telepath himself but his telepathy was touch based. He had to be touching someone to use his telepathic powers. He could sense and communicate with the TARDIS without touching her, but that was mostly her doing not his. He focused on the twins and entering their minds.

Suddenly he was in their dream. A woman sat on the edge of the bed where the twins were sleeping. The room was small and dismal and The Doctor could hear the sounds of war outside. He shuddered and turned back to the woman. She spoke to the kids while she held back her tears. "I hope one day, you will remember this, but I also you hope you never do. This war will not end, not until…this world is gone. I will not let you die in the fires that will, one day, consume this world." She placed a pair crown like bands of the children's heads. The Doctor stood, horrified. He knew exactly what she was doing and it would cause those kids such pain. Such untold agony. He pulled his mind out of the dream and brought their minds with him.

"Daddy, what was that?" David asked with a Trembling voice. The doctor pulled the two kids into his arms and held them closely. He took every ounce of his self control to keep himself from crying or screaming. He sat quietly and just at held them in his arms as he remembered Gallifrey and the war.

_The Doctor entered the small home where The Giver, his now ex wife, lived with her twins from her second marriage. "So, you came back home. After all this time?" She asked angrily. He nodded solemnly. "I hear you have kids now?" She nodded. "I do. Is that what you're doing here?" She asked angrily. "No…I-I just wanted to see you again. I miss you. I never stopped loving you." He smiled at her but she laughed and shook her head. He sighed and dropped his shoulders. "If you never stopped loving me, why did you leave?" She asked bitterly. He looked over at her with pain and sadness in his eyes. _

_"You know why." He replied stoically. _

_"No Theta. I don't. I know that you left with barely a word, you walked away when I needed you the most. I will always love you Theta, but that doesn't change that you left me. You broke my hearts when you left, you destroyed me. And now you expect to just waltz back into my life without so much as an apology?! "_

_" Gi..." She cut off his reply. _

_"No! You don't get too use my name. That is a privilege you lost when you left!" She yelled, hoping he wouldn't notice the tears on her cheeks. "Mummy? What going on?" A tiny voice echoed through the small room. A little boy of no more than five stared up the two adults. He had curly black hair and bright blue eyes. Suddenly the boy's head Jerked to look at the Doctor. He stared at him for a moment then he spoke in almost frightened voice. "Daddy?" _

"Daddy?" David' voice pulled the Doctor from his flashback. The kids were still squeezed in his arms, staring up at with round eyes and frightened faces. "Are you alright?" Anna asked him. He managed a smile and a nod. "Yeah. I'm okay. Have the two you of had that nightmare before?" David and Anna looked at each other with identical wide eyes. Then they nodded at him. Anna let out a broken sob and curled into the Doctor's chest. David looked up to the Doctor, "She can always feel how the lady in our dream feels. She says the woman's sad. Very sad and angry. It frightens her how afraid the woman is." The Doctor smiled warmly at David and nodded before pressing a kiss into Anna's hair. "It's alright Anna. There's nothing to be afraid of, it was just a bad dream." She sniffled and looked up at him. "I can't feel anyone else in my dreams. Only the woman in that dream. I can only feel her." Anna said. The Doctor frowned momentarily at this.

"How about we go on another adventure?" He asked them, putting on his brightest smile and hoping they didn't see the fear, worry or pain in his eyes. They grinned and nodded.

The TARDIS is rocked and Donna screamed. The kids clung to the jump seat where the Doctor had placed them as he shouted "I Set the controls to random. Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide…. Are you alright?" He asked Donna who looked quite upset. The kids jumped down from the seat and ran to the doors. They stopped there and waited for the Doctor.

"Terrified. I mean history's one thing, but an alien planet!" Donna yelled, her eye were wide.

"I could always take you home." The Doctor commented, with a chuckle. Donna shot him a look. "Yeah, don't laugh at me." She said, falsely angry

"I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder, I get that!" The Doctor said excitedly. The kids agreed with identical nods. "Seriously? After all this time?" She asked. He nodded softly.

"Yeah. Why do you think I keep going?" He laughed. Donna laughed back at him.

"Oh! All right then, you and me both! This is barmy! I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever done package holidays. And now I'm here. This is so… I mean it's…. I don't know, it's all sort of, I don't know what the word is!"

She opened the TARDIS doors and stepped out into a snowy landscape. The kids ran behind her, giggling, followed by the Doctor, who looked happily up the sky. "I've got the word. Freezing!" She yelled and shivered, rubbing her arms to warm herself.

"Snow! Aw, real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it, lovely. What do you think?!" He asked both Donna and the kids.

"Bit cold." Donna said. The kids laughed, and began throwing snowballs at one another. "It's not cold!" They shouted. No one was paying attention to the Doctor who talking to the air a few feet away.

"…and takeaway dinners, all... birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday here, and then you end up here! Donna Noble. Citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How 'bout that Donna?" He turned to see Donna missing and a snowball flying at his face. It hit him. He pushed the snow off his face and glared at the twins, who looked at each other and laughed. Donna walked out of the TARDIS in a big, white, fluffy coat with a huge hood.

"Sorry, you were saying?" She asked. The kids giggled at her and The Doctor just continued to grin. "Better?" He question. She nodded.

"Lovely, thanks." She said with a grin. Suddenly a huge rocket went flying over their heads. The Kids watched in awe and Donna grinned.

"A Rocket! Blimey, a real proper rocket! Now that's what I call a spaceship! You've got a box; he's got a Ferrari! Come on, let's go see where it's going!" Donna exclaimed as she began to walk in the direction the ship was going. The Doctor looked back at Tardis, his pride offended. He sent the old girl a mental message that he loved her boxiness. The kids ran up to him and took each of his hands as they followed Donna. David smiled up at the Doctor, "We like your box, Daddy."

They walked in the deserted winter wonderland until the kids stopped, hearing eerie music. "Daddy, what's that noise?" David asked. The Doctor listened and heard it too. He turned to Donna.

"Hold on, can you hear that? Donna, take your hood down!" She did but still couldn't hear the song.

"Hear what?" Donna shrugged. "That noise, it's like a song." Anna said. The Doctor began to look around to find the source. He walked up over a snow dune to see the body of a dying Ood. "Over there!" He yelled and they all ran over the dune to the body.

"What is it?" Donna asked, looking distressed at its appearance.

"An Ood. He's called an Ood." The Doctor said quickly. "But it's face..." Donna trailed off, disgusted by the Ood's appearance.

"It's a he, not an it." David yelled at her, angry at her insolence.

"Give me a hand." The Doctor asked her. She knelt beside the Ood too. The Doctor was examining the Ood with a stethoscope, mumbling about his heart. "I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him, keep him going." He told her. She nodded and leaned over the Ood.

"It's all right, we've got you. Um, what's your name?"

"Designated Ood Delta 50." He spoke weakly. Donna saw the translator ball light up. She grabbed and talked into it like a microphone.

"My name's Donna." She said softly. David giggled and said "No, You don't need to..."

"Sorry." She tried to figure out what to say, the decided to introduce the others. "This is the Doctor and David and Anna. Just what you need, a doctor. Couldn't be better, hey?"

"You've been shot." The Doctor informed the Ood. He spoke weakly "The circle...the circle must be broken."

"Circle? What d'you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?" The Doctor asked. Delta 50 suddenly sat up, roaring with eyes glowing red. The Doctor pushed the kids back and Donna jumped back. Then Delta 50 collapsed, dead. "He's gone." Anna whispered, horrified. She went back and knelt beside the body. "Careful." The Doctor warned. "Who was he? What's an Ood?" Anna asked, stroking Delta 50's head gently. The Doctor leaned down and picked her up then began explaining.

"They're servants, of humans in the 42nd century. Mildly telepathic, that was the... song. It's his mind calling out."

"I couldn't hear anything." Donna said. "He sang as he was dying." David explained.

"Then his eyes turned red. He was angry at the end. Very Angry." Anna said softly, burrowing her frightened face into the Doctor's shoulder.

"What's that mean?" David asked. The Doctor looked down at him then to Donna who wore a worried expression. "Trouble. Come on. The Ood are harmless. They're completely benign. Except, the last time I met them, there was this force, like a... stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over."

"What sort of force?" Anna asked, her voice muffled by the Doctor's jacket. "Yeah, long story." The Doctor told her. "Long walk." Donna countered. He rolled his eyes and spoke plainly. "It was the Devil." Donna shook her disbelievingly while David giggled. "Must be something different this time, though. Something closer to home." The Doctor said absent mindedly.

They climbed over another dune to see a large group of buildings. "A-ha! Civilization!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood-Sphere. And isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs, with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex. My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vidfone. Now, if you'd like to follow me." Solana said with a fake bright smile. Suddenly, a couple with two small children came running into the group.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! Late. Don't mind us. Hello! The guards let us through." The Man said with bright smile.

"And you would be?" She asked. He held out a wallet with a business card. "The Doctor and Donna Noble." He said. "Representing the Noble Corporation PLC Limited, Intergalactic." His wife finished.

"Must have fallen off my list, my apologies. Won't happen again. Now then, Dr. Noble, Mrs. Noble, Children, if you'd like to come with me."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, we're not married!" The Doctor exclaimed at the Odd Operations Rep.

"We're so not married." Donna echoed.

"Never." David said, disgusted at the thought. "Never ever!" Anna giggled.

"Of course." She said blandly. "And here are your information packs, vouchers inside. Now if you'd like to come with me, the Executive Suites are nice and warm." She said and moved to the door but an alarm went off and stopped her in her tracks. "Oh, what's that? That sounds like an alarm." The Doctor noted.

"Oh, it's just a... siren, for the end of the work shift. Now then, this way, quick as you can!" Solana exclaimed and rushed them inside the building. "As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve, and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard. Here at the Double O - that's Ood Operations - we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe, and educated. We don't just breed the Ood. We make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood, but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy, too." Solana spoke her well-rehearsed speech with as much fake enthusiasm that she could muster. "I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the Standard Setting." She turned to the first Ood. "How are you today, Ood?"

"I'm perfectly well, thank you." It said in a normal, translated voice.

"Or perhaps, after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen.) And how are you, Ood?" Solana spoke to the second Ood who replied in a sultry woman's voice, "All the better for seeing you."

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something." Solana continued on. "Doh!" The Ood replied in a homer-simpson-esque voice. Everyone one laughed at that except the Doctor and crew who were horrified at the sight. "All that for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so, don't hold back." Solana finished then left.

David wandered over to the control board and brought up a picture of the solar system on the big screen. The Doctor came up behind him and pointed to the Ood-Sphere.

"Ah, got it! The Ood-Sphere, I've been to this solar system before, years ago, ages! Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's widen out." David did this. "The year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

"4126. It's 4126. I'm in 4126." Donna said, shocked. "What's the Earth like now?" Donna asked.

"Bit full. But you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies." The Doctor told her.

"It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but... Back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming. Flooding. All the bees disappearing."

"That thing about the bees is odd." Anna said, she was now standing next to the Doctor, holding his hand. "But look at us! We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?" Donna asked.

"Sometimes I wonder." The Doctor replied. "What are the red dots, Daddy?" Anna asked, pointing at them with her tiny hand."Ood distribution centers." David clarified. "Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?" Anna questioned, horrified. She walked over to the nearest Ood.

"Excuse me." Anna said, tugging on the Ood's pant leg. The Ood looked the down at her. "Hello. Are you all like this?" She asked. "I do not understand, Miss." The Ood answered.

"Yeah. What I mean is, are there any free Ood?" She asked, the Doctor stood just behind her and David had run over to her and was now standing next her, holding her hand. "All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise, we would die."

"But you can't have started like that. Before the humans, what were you like?" David asked the Ood, it seemed confused. "The circle." It said.

"What do you mean, what circle?" The Doctor asked, stepping forward. "The circ... the circle... is..." The Ood struggled for words.

Solana cut off the conversation. "Ladies and gentlemen! All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

'I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you fancy going off the beaten track?" He asked Donna and the kids who all grinned back him.

The Doctor soniced the fence open. The loudspeakers rang out across the courtyard. "Ood shift eight, now commencing. Repeat, Ood shift eight now commencing." The Oods marched through the yard like soldiers or prisoners. Then one of them fell to his knees. A man rushed to the fallen Ood, whip in hand. "Get up! I said get up!" He yelled. Donna turned away but Anna ran forward and placed her tiny body in between the Ood and the whip. "ANNA!" The Doctor and David yelled together as the whip flew toward her.

When the doctor saw the whip hit Anna, fury erupted in him. He ran forward, grabbing the whip from the man and throwing it away. His first launched forward connecting with the man's false hard that he felt bone break in the man's skull. The guard fell back, unconscious.

The whip stung against her back but it didn't come again. When she looked up she saw the Doctor angrier than she'd ever seen him before, even Donna was afraid. He held the whip in his hand where he had caught it, he twisted it around his palm, pulling it from the guard's hand. He threw the whip off to the side then hit the guard so hard he was unconscious from it. The Doctor knelt by Anna's side and checked her wounds, she would be fine. He picked her and hugged her tightly, passing a kiss into her blonde hair. She could feel his anger, no, his rage, his fear. She looked up at him and spoke softly. "Daddy, I'm okay. Everything is okay." He looked down at her with teary eyes.

"Anna that was very brave, but please let me and Donna do the dangerous stuff okay?" He spoke it a shaky voice, doing his best to keep it from breaking. She nodded as the Doctor took David's hand. He looked to Donna who looked poke with anger.

"A great big empire, built on slavery." She whispered.

"It's not so different from your time." The Doctor said cynically.

"Oi! I haven't got slaves!" Donna yelled back. "Who d'you think made your clothes?" The Doctor restored. Donna was furious.

"Is that why you travel round with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?!" She yelled.

"Sorry." He said,though he didn't apologetic.

"Don't. Spaceman." She replied. David cocked his head. "I don't understand, the man hurting you is gone, why don't you just run away?" He asked the Ood. An old in the front romantic looked at him. "For what reason?" It asked.

"You could be free." David said solemnly.

"I do not understand the concept." It said, completely emotionless.

"What is it with that Persil ball? I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?" Donna asked angrily.

"Ood, tell me, does 'the circle' mean anything to you?" The Doctor asked.

"The circle must be broken." The Ood all spoke together.

"Woah, that is creepy!" Donna and Anna said at the same time.

"But what is it? What is the circle?" The Doctor continued

"The circle must be broken." The Ood repeated. David stepped forward, "Why?"

"So that we can sing." They all said together again. 'Oh, can you hear it?, I should've listened!" The Doctor exclaimed. Suddenly the shouts of guards echoed over courtyard. The Doctor. grabbed David's hand and they ran to nearby building. He locked the door after Donna got inside.

"Hold on. Does that mean we're locked in?" Donna asked him but he ignored her. " listen, listen…" He said. Strange eerie music filled the Time Lords' heads but Donna heard nothing. "Daddy, my head." Anna whimpered. The Doctor clutched her close.

"What is it?" Donna asked. "Can't you hear it? The singing?" David asked her. SHe shook her head. They walked forward, the music growing louder. In front of them was a cage with several Ood inside. "They look different to the others." Donna noted.

"That's because they're natural-born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoilt." The Doctor explained. "And That's their song." David finished for him.

"I can't hear it." Donna whispered. "D'you want to?" The Doctor asked. Donna nodded slowly. "Yeah." She whispered.

The Doctor's voice hardened. "It's the song of captivity." He warned her. "Let me hear it." Donna spoke with command. The Doctor gently placed his hands on either side of head. After a long moment she could the music. It was incredible. It was sad and fearful and yet full of hope and life. She began to cry before turning to the Doctor and saying "Take it away!" He nodded and placed his hands on her head again. The music faded.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, ashamed for not being able to handle the music. "It's OK." David smiled at her. "But you three can still hear it?" She questioned. The Doctor nodded solemnly as he tightened his grip on Anna and took David's hand.

"All the time." Anna whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Guys! Sorry I haven't published in a while but like I said in my last note I have had no laptop and limited time on my mothers to work but I got my new laptop today so I have a new chapter for you! I will be uploading new chapters for each story over the next few days. As for this story , I will be doing the library episodes then a couple original stories, then midnight then Journey's End and then I will be periodically going back and forth between original stories and episodes. I will post as often as I can. Enjoy and I still don't own doctor who.**

"What are you holding? Show me." The Ood didn't move so she moved closer and spoke softly. "We're Friends, The Doctor, Donna, David and Anna, Friends." It stared at her. The Doctor, David and Donna followed her movements. "Let me see... Look at me... Let me see." The Doctor spoke softly. One of them crept closer to them. "That's it. That's it, go on. Go on..." Anna held out her hands and the Ood opened his palms, showing them a small brain he was hiding. "Is that...?" Donna questioned, looking a bit green. "It's a brain, a hind brain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain!" David ginned happily. "Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna any more. You'd be like an Ood, a processed Ood." The Doctor explained.

"So the company... cuts off their brains?" Anna asked, she understood but was still shaken. David took her hand gently is own and gave his sister a gentle smile. "And they stitch on the translator!" The Doctor said angrily.

"Like a lobotomy." Donna's voice shook with disgust and horror. "I spent all that time looking for you, Doctor, because I thought it would be so wonderful out here... I want to go home." She whispered, not seeing the pained look in the Doctor's eyes or the frown that echoed over his face for a single moment.

With a final loud thud, the door opened and soldiers ran inside.

"They're with the Ood, sir." One said.

The Doctor slammed the door of the cage closed, locking himself, the kids and Donna inside with the Ood. With a crazy look in eyes he yelled toward the soldiers. "What you gonna do, then? Arrest me? Lock me up? Throw me in a cage? Well, you're too late! Hah!"

Half an hour later Donna and the Doctor were handcuffed to pipes and the kids were locked in a cage barely big enough for them to sit in. The head of the Company, Mr. Halpen was talking to the Doctor and Donna.

"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists!" He yelled. "If that's what Friends Of The Ood are trying to prove, yes!" The Doctor yelled back.

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice." Halpen replied.

"That's because you can't hear them." David yelled from the cage. Halpen kicked the cage, causing it tip over. David and Anna let out tiny squeals of fear. The Doctor's eyes stormed.

"They welcomed it! It's not as if they put up a fight!"

"You idiot! They're born with their brains in their hands! Don't you see, that makes them peaceful, they've got to be, cos a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets!" Donna screeched.

"Oh, nice one." The Doctor grinned but it didn't reach his angry eyes. "The system's worked for 200 years. All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilized." Halpen said before pushing the intercom button "Mr. Kess? How do we stand?"

"Canisters primed, sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. At 200 marks and counting."

"You're gonna gas them?!" Anna yelled, The Doctor clenched his fists tighter but Halpen didn't do anything more to the cage, instead he turned to him.

"Kill the livestock. The classic foot-and-mouth solution from the olden days. Still works. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

"But Mr. Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen!" The Doctor said. "What d'you mean?" Donna asked.

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hind brain, they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element, am I right?" The Doctor questioned.

"And again, so clever!"

"But it's got to be connected to the red-eye, what is it?"

"'It' won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood." Halpen left with Dr. Ryder, Ood Sigma and two guards. As soon he was gone the Doctor and Donna began fighting their bindings. "Come on!" The Doctor groaned.

"Well, do something! You're the one with all the tricks! You must've met Houdini!" Donna yelled. "These are really good handcuffs!" He complained.

"Oh, well I'm glad of that. I mean, at least we've got quality!" Donna complained.

The door opened and three red-eyed Ood entered. The Doctor and Donna started attempting to get them to stop. "Doctor, Donna, friends." The Doctor said over and over at the same time Donna was saying "The circle must be broken."

The red-eyed Oods are still advanced. But through the telepathic link between the Ood, the Doctor and Donna's words echo to the natural Ood in the cage. They stand up and lift their palms, sending a message to the three menacing toward the Doctor and Donna. They bowed their heads, and when they looked up the red-eye was gone.

"Doctor. Donna. Friends." The Ood said. "Yes! That's us! Friends! Oh, yes!" The Doctor and Donna exclaimed. The Ood freed them and then the Doctor raced to the cage and pulled the kids into his arms. They had tears on their cheeks but they were okay. He held for a few moments then they stood and headed outside.

They looked around at the courtyard, now a real battlefield filled with gunfire and screams. The Doctor looked around, panicked. He ran a hand into his hair, "I don't know where it is! I don't know where they've gone!" He said, alarmed. "What are we looking for?" Donna asked. He held onto David and Anna gently, they both seemed pretty scared but okay. He replied with, "Might be underground, like some sort of cave, or a cavern, or..." He trailed off when an explosion hit, it threw them all to the ground. The Doctor grabbed the kids and leaned over them to keep them from getting hurt. After the shaking stopped, The Doctor stood and asked both the kids and Donna if they were alright. The kids nodded and Donna gave him a simple yes. "Daddy, its Sigma." Anna said. The Doctor turned to the Ood who began to lead them toward Warehouse 15. The Doctor sonicked open the Warehouse and led everyone inside. Once inside, they all saw it. A gigantic brain. Anna began speaking very quickly. "The Ood Brain. Now it all makes sense, that's the missing link, the third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hind brain, and this - the telepathic center. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song." She grinned as The Doctor gave her a gentle smile and nod. Halpen came around the corner, a gun pointed at them.

"Cargo. I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business, much more manageable, without livestock." Halpen told them as he approached. The Doctor was on high guard, he pushed the kids gently behind his legs and stood where he could easily move in front of Donna if Halpen fired.

"He's mined the area." Dr. Ryder, one of the many onsite doctors informed the Time Lord. "They're gonna kill it?" Donna said, her voice shaking with fear. Halpen responded, "They found that...thing centuries ago beneath the Northern Glacier." He was nervous and sweaty, The Doctor wondered what was wrong with him. He'd obviously been poisoned somehow. David tugged on the Doctors pant leg and the Doctor looked down at him, "The pylons, they make a circle." David said. "And 'The circle must be broken.'" Anna finished, smiling at both her brother and the Doctor. The Doctor fially concluded what the kids had been saying. "Damping the telepathic field. Stopping the Ood from connecting for 200 years."

Halen ignored them and turned the gun to Ood Sigma, "And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better." The replied, "My place is at your side, sir." Halpen grinned, laughing, "Ha-ha! Still subservient. Good Ood." Donna cocked her head, she asked, "If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?"

The Doctor smiled, his companions always knew what questions to ask, "Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt. The subconscious reaching out."

Dr. Ryder chimed in, "But the process was too slow. Had to be accelerated. You should never give me access to those controls, Mr. Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends of the Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company. And I succeeded." Halpen smiled maliciously. "Yes. Yes, you did." Then he shoved Dr. Ryder over the balustrade and into the Ood brain which absorbed him, killing him in the process. The Doctor shielded the kids eyes from this but Donna watche, whispering "You... murdered him!" Afterward. Halpen chuckled, "Very observant, Ginger. Now, then... can't say I've ever shot anyone before. Can't say I'm gonna like it. But it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still..." The Doctor tensed, he was afraid for those kids, for Donna and for himself. Sigma stepped in front Halpen an said, "Would you like a drink, sir?"

Halpen scoffed, "I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks."

The Ood persisted, "Please have a drink, sir." Halpen seemed afraid but he didn't give in, "If... If you're going to stand in their way, I'll shoot you too."

The Odd continued, "Please have a drink, sir." Halpen's voice shook, he began to shake, "Have... Have you... poisoned me?"

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir." The Ood told him. Halpen pointed to the container of liquid the ood was holding, "What is that stuff?" He asked, his voice cracking with fear.

"Ood-graft suspended in a biological compound, sir." The Ood replied. "What the hell does that mean?!" Halpen yelled, now badly shaking and visibly shaking with fear.

"Oh, dear..." The Doctor shook his head. "Tell ME!" Halpen screamed. The Doctor continued, "Funny thing, the subconscious. Takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red-eye as revenge. Came out in the rabid Ood as anger. And then, there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr. Halpen?" The Doctor said pointedly. Halpen lifed a shaky hand and ran it through his thinning hair. A large bunch came off into his hand. "Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time. And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain. Mr. Halpen, can you hear it? Listen..." The Doctor said. Halpen whispered something incoherent then lean forward and grabbed ahold of the skin on his head, peeling it off to reveal an Ood skull, tentacles dropped from his mouth. He was an Ood.

"They... They turned him into an Ood?!" Donna said, horrified. Halpen/Ood seemed to sneeze causing a small hind brain to fall into his hands. "He has become Oodkind. And we will take care of him." Sigma told them. "It's weird, being with you, I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore." Donna said. The Doctor smiled sadly, "It's better that way. People who know for certain tend to be like Mr. Halpen's' The Doctor told her. David turned off the detonators and Anna was switching off the dampener, she smiled, "Sigma, May I?" Sigma nodded. "Stifled for 200 years, but not anymore. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!" Anna said. A beautiful, joyous song began, The Doctor laughed and Donna grinned. The Doctor picked Anna and hugged her, then David. He carried one on each hip out of the warehouse as Donna followed, exclaiming she could hear the Ood sing.

They were all standing hear the TARDIS, the Doctor was talking to Ood Sigma and some others. Donna stood with kids by the open doors of the TARDIS. "The message has gone out. That song resonated across the galaxies, everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home." The Doctor said. Ood Sigma bowed.

"We thank you, Doctor-Donna, children, Friends of Oodkind. And what of you now, will you stay? There is room in the song for you." The Doctor scrunched his face. "Oh, I've... I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks." He said. The Ood cocked its head, "I think your song must end soon." Sigma told him. The Doctor was alarmed but he chose not to show it, "Meaning?"

"Every song must end." The Ood replied. "Yeah. Okay," The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned to Donna, "Erm, what about you? You still want to go home?" She shook her head, "No. Definitely not." The Doctor grinned, relieved. He needed someone right now and Donna was his best friend. He had the kids but he needed another adult to steer him away from the worst part of himself. Someone who knew right and wrong and who could stand up to him. He didn't want the kids to ever see "The Time Lord Victorious." HE smiled at Donna, "Then, we'll be off." They all got into the TARDIS, as they left the Ood sang for them. Sigma's last words were, "And know this, Doctor Donna and Children. You will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the Doctor Donna and the Children, as will our children's children. And the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

4 hours later…

The Doctor worked under the consul, Donna and the kids were sleeping. He was alone with thoughts, which he was focusing on the kids' mother. He wondered if it really was her…

_"Daddy?" The boy stared at him with large eyes. The Doctor felt it too. The instant connection between Time Lord Parents and children. He looked back at her. "I have a son?" He questioned. She looked broken. "I never wanted you know. You left. He deserves better Theta, so leave. I don't need you and neither does he."_

_ The boy looked scared. "Mama, I'm scared." She put her arm around the boy. "Don't be Daddy is leaving because that's what he does and what he'll always do, leave." She sent the boy to bed then came back to the Kitchen. "Twins. I had twins. A boy and girl. They are yours but you left. You don't deserve them and they don't deserve you, Theta. They need someone constant. Someone who won't leave. I love you Theta but I won't let you destroy your children like you destroyed me."_

He was jerked from his thoughts by Anna who came running into the room crying. "I had a nightmare." Anna said. "It w-was the lady I could feel. She w-was so sad. T-then there w-were Daleks, t-they hurt David…" She sobbed and the Doctor picked her up. He rubbed gentle circles on her back as she sobbed. "Anna I would never let the Daleks or Anyone else hurt you or David or take either of you away from me. I promise." She sniffled a bit then said, "It was the future daddy." She whimpered as she curled into his chest, terrified and confused. All he could do was hold her and hope.


	5. Chapter 5

**So heres the next chapter, I will try to have the next part up sometime this week! Enjoy!**

They spent the next few days on the TARDIS, resting and recuperating. He Doctor got bored after a while and decided it was time for trip and off they went.

He decided on The Library. He figured it couldn't possibly go wrong.

"Books! People never really stop loving books." He said happily to the kids and Donna. He landed the TARDIS and then picked up his coat. He went to the door, and opened it. David and Anna ran out, followed by Donna, then himself. They walked for a while before arriving at huge but empty reception area.

"51st century. By now you've got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, Donna. Deep breath." The Doctor said happily as he watched the kids look about in wonder as well as Donna. They crossed the room and walked down a staircase to see the surface: a huge city all filled with book shelves.

"The Library. So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big 'the.'" The Doctor grinned. The kids giggled and Donna smirked.

"It's like a city." Donna said with wonder.

"It's a world. Literally a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer, biggest hard drive ever!" David yelled excitedly, making the Doctor smile and Donna laugh.

"Well, Mr. Smarty pants, where are we then? In the library?" David licked his finger then lifted it up to feel the wind. "Well, we're at the equator so…this must be Biographies! I love biographies!" David shouted.

"So do I!" The Doctor yelled in agreement.

"Yeah, very you. Always a death at the end." Donna said.

"You need a good death. Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size." The Doctor retorted

Donna picked up a book but the Doctor snatched it away from her.

"Oi! Spoilers!" He said.

"What?"

"These books are from your future. You don't want to read ahead, spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end." The Doctor said matter-of-factly.

"Isn't travelling with you one big spoiler?" Donna asked, the kids snickered and the Doctor glared at them, making them laugh harder.

"I... try to keep you away from major plot developments. Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, cos you know what? This is the biggest Library in the universe. So where is everyone? It's silent." He said looking around with worry. Donna and kids stood on either side of him, looking out across city like library

He walked over to an information terminal and began to fiddle with it using the sonic screwdriver.

"Just this part of the Library?" Anna asked

"No, The planet. The whole planet." The Doctor said, worry in is tone.

"Maybe it's a Sunday." Donna offered but the Doctor shook his head.

"No, I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring." He replied as he continued to fiddle with the terminal, David grabbed his pant leg and the Doctor lifted him up and placed him on his lap.

"Well... Maybe everyone's really, really quiet." Donna offered again. All three Time Lords glared at her. She crossed her arms defensively and glared right back at them.

"They'd still show up on the system." David said pointing at the screen from the Doctor's lap where he had been placed. . Donna put hand on the Doctor's arm and gave him a worried look. "Doctor, why are we here? Really, why?" She asked.

"Oh, you know, just passing." The Doctor replied distractedly.

"Yea. You said we were going to the beach then suddenly we're in a Library. Why?" Anna asked.

"Daddy, look. That's interesting." David said, pointing at the screen of the

"What?" Anna and Donna asked at the same time.

"Scanning for life forms. If I do a scan looking for your basic humanoids - you know, your book readers, few limbs and a face," Donna picked up Anna so she could see the screen and they watched as it read "Filtered humanoid life form scan; 4; complete". The Doctor continued speaking. "Apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo, nada, see? Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life." The Doctor pushed some keys and numbers ran across the screen until it stopped and showed "error; .000; lifeform number capped at maximum record."

"A million million. Gives up after that. A million million." David said as the Doctor smiled down at the boy.

"But there's nothing here." Donna said. "There's no-one." Anna agreed

"And not a sound. A million million life forms, and silence in the Library." The Doctor said. He stood up from the consul and placed David on the ground next to Anna.

"But there's no-one here. There's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive?" Donna rambled as they stared suspiciously at a stack of books in front of them. Neither adult saw the children go into the next room. They looked at each other for a moment then cautiously reached out towards one of the books. Just before they could touch it, a voice echoed into the room along with a distinct pair of squeals, making them both jump.

"Welcome!" The voice said.

"Daddy!" Echoed a matching pair of voices from the same direction.

They headed back to the reception area where a Node had been activated by the kids who are staring at it with frightened expressions.

"I am Courtesy Node 710/aqua. Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers regardless of species or hygiene taboo." The Node said happily.

"Daddy…what is it?" The kids asked together.

"That face, it looks real." Donna said. "Yeah, don't worry about it." The Doctor replied.

"But a statue with a real face, though! It's a hologram or something, isn't it?" Donna yelled at the Doctor who shrugged.

"No, but really, it's... fine." The Node began to speak as he had finished.

"Additional. There follows a brief message from the head librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. 'Run. For God's sake, run. No way is safe. The Library has sealed itself, we can't... Oh, they're here. Arg. Slarg. Snick.' Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm units for the comfort of other readers." The Node said rather happily. The kids ran over to the Doctor and his behind his legs.

"So that's why we're here... Any other messages, same date stamp?" He asked.

"One additional message. This message carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of 5, 0, 11..." The Doctor cut off the Node. "Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine, just play it." He said anxiously.

"Message follows. 'Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember... if you want to live, count the shadows.' Message ends." The room became deathly silent. The Doctor picked up and Anna and David and then turned to Donna.

"Donna..." He whispered.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Stay out of the shadows." He said with worry in voice as he turned began to look around the room again.

"Why, what's in the shadows?" She asked following him though another door only to arrive in an aisle between bookshelves. The shelves were several feet high, reaching up as far as the group could see.

"What's this Daddy?" David asked holding up the Doctor's psychic paper, which he'd pulled out of the Dotor's pocket, revealing a message.

"Yeah, I kind of, sort of lied a bit. I got a message on the psychic paper." He explained. Donna took it from David and read what it said.

_The Library. Come as soon as you can. x_

"What do you think? Cry for help?" The Doctor asked his companion.

"Cry for help - with a kiss?" Donna questioned. The kids giggled.

"Who's it from Daddy?" Anna asked before the Doctor could answer Donna's challenge.

"No idea." He said smiling at the little girl. "So why did we come here, why did you..." Donna trailed off when they noticed the power going out down the hall. The Doctor gave Donna a panicked look. "RUN!" He yelled.

They ran until they reached a door, The Doctor placed the kids on the floor and tried to open it but he couldn't. "Come on!" He groaned pulling on the door.

"Is it locked?" David asked worriedly.

"Jammed! The wood's warped!" The Doctor replied as he pulled on the door again.

"Sonic it, use the screwdriver daddy!" Anna yelled, fear prickling her voice.

"I can't, its wood!" He told her. Donna arrived them and glared at the Doctor.

"Oh, get out of the way!" She yelled as she kicked the door in. The kids ran in followed by the Doctor and then Donna who slammed the doors closed while the Doctor grabbed a book and put it in the handles.

"Daddy!" David and Anna yelled. Both kids were pointing to a floating security camera sphere.

"Oh! Hello! Sorry to burst on you like this. OK if we stop here for a bit?" The Doctor asked the camera. "What is it?" Donna asked.

"Security camera. Switched itself off." The Doctor replied as he picked it up and began examining it.

"Nice door skills, Donna." The Doctor complemented.

"Yeah, well, you know, boyfriends... sometimes you need the element of surprise. What was that, what was after us? I mean, did we just run away from a power cut?"

"Possibly." He replied while he fiddled with the camera.

"Are we safe here Daddy?" Anna asked. He looked up at her worried face and gave her the best smile he could. "Course we're safe. There's a little shop" She nodded and he returned his gaze to the camera. "Gotcha!" He yelled happily. He watched the screen on the sphere light up with the words, "No, stop it, no, no!" The Doctor dropped the Sphere.

"Ooh, I'm sorry. I really am, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He turned to David who was stand next to him now. "It's alive."

"You said it was a security camera, Daddy." The boy replied, giving The Doctor a confused look. "It is. It's an alive one." He said matter-of-factly. More words appeared on the screen of the camera. "Others are coming. The Library is breached. Others are coming."

"Others? What's it mean, "Others"? Daddy who are the others?" Anna asked with a frightened tone. The Doctor looked up at her with a puzzled expression and shrugged. The girl turned to a Node in the room with a different face. "Excuse me, what does it mean, "others"?" she asked it. David came up next to her, smiling. "It can't help you, silly. It doesn't know anything." Anna glared at David. "So why's it got a face then?" She asked her brother but before he could answer the node did. "This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death." Anna's jaw dropped. "It's a real face?!" She screamed. And began to back away from the Node to a shadow. The Doctor was watching them. He ran forward and grabbed her. "No, no! The shadow, look." He said pointing at it. "What about it?" She asked, scared by the Doctor's reaction. "What's casting it?" David asked. Anna looked around but saw nothing that could cast it. "Daddy, I'm scared." She said, burying her face into his jacket.

"Oh! I'm thick! Look at me, I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff, I need a bigger head!" He yelled. He looked towards a corridor. It was black with a single blinking lamp. "Power must be going." Donna said, coming up next to the Doctor. "This place runs on fission cells. They'll out burn the sun." David replied.

"Why do you know all of this? You're, what, 3 years old?" Donna asked David. He grinned. "Time Lords develop much faster than humans. I can read and write and do maths. I spent all day in the TARDIS library reading about planets with strange stories. This was one of them."

"Daddy, if the powers not going out, then why is it so dark?" Anna asked with a terrified voice. He looked down the corridor with a worried expression. "It's not dark." He said coldly. "We need to get back to the TARDIS." He said turning and taking Anna's hand. "Why?" Donna asked him

"Because that shadow, it moved." He said gesturing to where it had once been.

Suddenly a door burst open and six people in spacesuits entered the room. The leader of them walked straight to the Doctor. She switched her visor to transparent, revealing a female face. "Hello sweetie." She smiled at him.

"Get out! All of you, turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away! Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived, they won't believe you." He yelled at the group who were completely unfazed by him. The woman ordered everyone to pop off their helmets and then they began to argue. The Doctor approached the leader woman again. Anna was still in his arms but David was standing by Donna now. "Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just lea... Hang on. Did you say expedition?"

"My expedition, I funded it." One of the group replied. The Doctor groaned.

"Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists." He sighed causing Anna to giggle. The woman smiled and approached the Doctor and Anna. She smiled warmly at the girl then looked at him. "Got a problem with archaeologists?" She asked. The little girl giggled and answered for him. "We're time travelers. We point and laugh at archaeologists." She laughed.

The woman smiled. "Professor River Song, archaeologist." She extended her hand to shake his. He ignored it and began to yell at her again. "River Song, lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now... you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again... not one living thing, not here, not ever." He said. Behind him, David yelled at one of the group who was nearing a shadow. "Stop right there! What's your name?" He asked her.

The woman turned and looked at the little boy. "Anita." She said. The Doctor spoke in David's place. "Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared." No one looked scared, River was actually smiling. "No, bit more scared than that." He said again. One woman looked vaguely scared. The Doctor took that. They argued for next few minutes about sealing doors and contracts. River walked over to stand next to the Doctor. "You think there's danger here?" She asked.

"Something came to this Library and killed everything in it, killed a whole world. Danger? Could be." David said sarcastically from The Doctor's side. "Oi, don't talk back David." She looked to the Doctor. "That was 100 years ago. The Library's been silent for 100 years. Whatever came here is long dead."

"Bet your…How did you know his name?" He asked River who smiled and simply said "Spoilers."

Anna clung to the Doctor, "Daddy, I'm scared of the dark." She said softly.

"That's alright, almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong. Cos it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada." He told her. He lowered her to ground next to her brother and turned to the shadows behind him.

"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna asked.

"It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark." The Doctor replied. "Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?" He asked River. She nodded and began giving out orders.

"Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the Library database, see what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty Boy, kids, you're with me. Step into my office." All the people in the expedition began running around. The kids went to River as she asked but the Doctor didn't. He went over to where Proper Dave was working at a terminal. "Pretty Boy, with me I said." River yelled over to him

"I'm Pretty Boy?" The Doctor questioned. Donna rolled her eyes. "Yes. Ooh, that came out a bit quick!" She realized. The Doctor walked slowly over to River who was talking to the kids with big grin on her face while unpacking things from her bag including a strange, TARDIS-shaped book. "Thanks." She said to him.

"For what?"

"The usual. For coming when I call. And for bringing the kids."

"Oh, that was you?" He questioned.

"You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. They are too. I'm assuming there's a reason." She said. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her then looked to the kids, who just shrugged at him. "A fairly good one, actually."

"OK, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Uh, going by your face, I'd say its early days for you. Yes? So, um... crash of the Byzantium, have we done that yet?" He stared blankly at her. She looked to kids who had the same blank expressions. "Obviously ringing no bells. Right, um, oh. Picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?" Again they stared at her blankly. "Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Huh, life with a time traveler, never knew it could be such hard work." She looked back to her book for moment but then looked at the kids. "Look at you two! You're so young. And you Doctor, you're young too." She said as she pressed a hand to the Doctor's cheek.

"I'm really not, you know." He said softly.

She shook her head. "Nah, but you are. Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you, so are they." She said pointing to the kids. She stared at them for a moment. "You've seen me before, and them? Wait, how have you seen them before?" He asked, confused.

"Doctor... please tell me you know who I am? Kids?" She looked between them. The Doctor answered for all three of them.

"Who are you?"

Before River could answer an alarm starting going off, "Is that a phone?" Donna asked. Proper Dave said something about hacking the security and setting off an alarm. The Doctor was annoyed by this guy, who continued fumbling over the controls. He rolled his eyes and marched over, pushed his out of the way sating, "Let me try something."

He fiddled with the controls a moment only to be hit with access denied. He tried again, this tie a young girl about 10 years old appeared. "Hello?" He questioned. The girl looked confused, "Hello. Are you in my television?" She asked. He shook his head, "Well, no, I'm, I'm... sort of in space. I, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple-grid security processor." She looked even more confused.

"Would you like to speak to my dad?" He nodded, "Dad or your mum, that'd be lovely." Suddenly she seemed to remember something, "I know you! You were in my Library!" She yelled. "Your Library?" He asked. She got angry, "The Library's never been on the television before. What have you done?" He stammered, "Ah, I... I just rerouted the interface..." She disappeared then, Access Denied came up on the screen.

"What happened, who was that?" River asked as she came up next to him. The Doctor shook his head, "I need another terminal. Keep working on those lights, we need those lights!" River spoke to her people while the Doctor went to work on another terminal. He kept glancing at her diary. David suddenly poked out from under the table and grabbed for it but River caught him. "Sorry. You're not allowed to see inside the book, it's against the rules." She scolded David. "What rules?" He asked, crossing his arms defiantly, "Your daddy's rules." She told him, looking up at the Doctor.

Anna let a squeal when books started flying off the shelves. The Doctor tried to figure out what had caused it but ended before he could. He turned back to the screen, it read, "Access Denied CAL." The Doctor ran hand through his hair, "What's CAL?"

xXx

Anna noticed one of the crew, Miss. Evangelista was acting strange, and she seemed to be treated differently by the others. She was also much more afraid than the others. "You all right?" She asked her. "What's that? What's happening?" She asked the little girl. "I don't know." Donna came up to Anna and saw Miss. Evangelista. She tried to calm the panicked woman, "Oh, thanks for... you know... offering to help with the lights." Miss. Evangelista shook her head. "They don't want me. They think I'm stupid, cos I'm pretty." Anna shook her head, "Course they don't, nobody thinks that." She told the frightened woman. Miss. Evangelista scoffed at Anna, "They're right though. I'm a moron, me. My dad said I have the IQ of plankton, and I was pleased." Donna started to laugh but Anna spoke up, "It's alright that you're not smart. Neither am I. But I can feel others emotions. That's my special skill, everyone has one, what's yours?" She asked Miss. Evangelista, who smiled and began to think.

xXx

The Doctor looked very confused, "How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?" He asked turning to another member of the crew, Mr. Lux., who had financed the trip. "CAL, what is it?" He asked the man who wore a smug expression, "Sorry. You didn't sign your personal experience contracts." He replied smugly. The Doctor got angry, "Mr. Lux, right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?" The Doctor said. "I'm protecting my family's pride." Lux replied.

"Well, funny thing, Mr. Lux, I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important." The Doctor replied angrily. River stepped in here. "Then why don't you sign his contract?" She paused momentarily, "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you." The Doctor shook his head, "Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"

River responded, "There was a message from the Library. Just one. 'The lights are going out'. Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years. Oh, there was one other thing in the last message..." She was cut off by Mr. Lux. "That's confidential." He yelled. River replied without hesitation, "I trust this man. With my life, with everything." Mr. Lux yelled back at her, "You've only just met him!" River shook her head, "No, he's only just met me. This is a data extract that came with the message." The Doctor read the message off River's PDA, "4022 saved. No survivors. But how can 4022 people have been saved if there were no survivors?"

Before the Doctor could say anything more, the kids and Miss. Evangelista screamed. Everyone followed the Doctor out into where they were. The kids were laying in front of a skeleton in ripped shreds of clothing. The Doctor and River rushed forward and checked the kids. "David! Anna!" The Doctor yelled. He picked up their unconscious forms. "Everybody, careful! Stay in the light!" He yelled as he held the kids close. "Who else screamed?" He asked. "Miss Evangelista." Anna whispered, she had been stirred when he picked her up and was a tiny bit awake.

"Miss Evangelista, please state your current..." Her words echoed from the skeleton, she repeated her words, "Please state your current...position." A horrified look covered River's face. Everyone else shared it. River reached out and picked up a piece of the collar, moving it around to show that the 4 green lights on the communicator were still on. "It's her. It's Miss Evangelista." River whispered. The Doctor didn't want the kids to hear Miss. Evangelista ghost like he knew she would, so he carried back into the other room. He was followed by River and the others later.

"That was... that was horrible. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen." Donna said as she reentered the room. She was in tears, the Doctor put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "It's just a freak of technology. But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her... I'd like a word with that." River explained. The Doctor placed and David and Anna on a chair then said, "I'll introduce you….oh, I'm going to need a packed lunch." River grabbed her pack and began searching for her lunch. She pulled out her diary and the Doctor asked, "What's in that book?" She paused her search and looked up at him, "Spoilers." She said simply. "Who are you?" He asked, "Professor River Song, University of..." He cut her off, "Who are you to me?" She grinned pulling out her lunch box, "Again... spoilers. Chicken, and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

When Anna and David woke, they saw the Doctor crouched on the floor, with his sonic, examining the shadows. They jumped down from the chair and went over to River. "How do you know our Dad but he doesn't know you?" David asked. She smiled, "He hasn't met me yet. Neither have you. I sent him a message but it went wrong, it arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. And he looks at me, he looks right through me, so do you, and it shouldn't kill me, but it does." She stared off at the Doctor towards the end.

The Doctor jumped up suddenly, "OK, we've got a live one! That's not darkness down those tunnels, this is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm." He said before throwing a chicken leg into the shadow, instantly it was nothing but bone. "The piranhas of the air, the Vashta Nerada. Literally "the shadows that melt the flesh". Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive." Donna seemed worried by this, "What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?" She questioned. The Doctor nodded. "Mm, Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams." He told her before going over and inspecting the children. "What happened?" He asked them. Anna spoke, "Miss. Evangelista was scared so we went with her to see what was on the side of the door that we saw open. The Vashta Nerada got but they couldn't eat us. They tried. There was a golden light around us." He nodded, "Alright, well, don't wonder off again…I've got to get those bracelets fixed." He mumbled the last part before he stood up and said, "This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere."

"Doctor, the little shop! They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff." Donna said. "You're right! Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop!" The Doctor yelled, grabbing the kids and Donna and dragging them towards the shop. "Actually, Proper Dave, could you stay where you are for a moment?" The Doctor said. He asked why and the Doctor replied with, "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows." Everybody looked at Proper Dave's shadows with horror. "It's how they hunt, they latch on to a food source and keep it fresh." The Doctor explained. Proper Dave looked absolutely terrified, "What do I do?" he whimpered. "You stay absolutely still. Like there's a wasp in the room, like there's a million wasps." The Doctor told him. "We're not leaving you, Dave." River comforted the man.

"Course we're not leaving. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me." The Doctor said. Dave told him it was on floor by his bag. Anita grabbed it and handed it to the Doctor, who secured it on Dave.

"Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got."

"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets." Donna said. "Yeah, but we're safe anyway." David said. "How are we safe?" She asked the little boy. "We're not, that was a clever lie to shut you up." David replied. Donna scowled at the boy.

"Professor, anything I can do with the suit?" The Doctor asked River. She nodded, "We can increase the mesh-density, dial it up 400%. Make it a tougher meal." He pulled out his sonic and sonicked the suit, "OK. 800%! Pass it on." He held out his sonic to River but she held up her own. "Gotcha!" She grinned. "What's that?" He asked, shocked.

"It's a screwdriver."

"It's sonic." He replied, clearly stunned.

"Yeah, I know. Snap!" She grinned.

She went around sealing everyone's suits with her sonic. The Doctor watched her with suspicion, then he grabbed the kids and Donna. He went in to the little shop and placed the three of them on the transport. Donna started asking questions, "No talking, just moving! Right, stand there in the middle. It's a teleport. Can't send the others, TARDIS won't recognize them." Anna looked frightened. "Daddy, don't send us away…" She cried. "Hey, it's going to be fine, Donna is going to take of you and then I'm going to come back and we'll go somewhere fun. Promise." He teleported them even as Donna began to complain. He never heard their screams.


End file.
